• Home
  • About
  • Why
  • Contact

GaysForJesus

A place where we accept everyone as equals and will not tolerate intolerance.

  • Current
  • Culture
  • Society
  • Life
  • Family
  • Politics
  • Perspective

Gay Life in Jamaica

December 28, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

Jamaica is a terrible place for LGBT individuals.gay-catholic

Like many areas of the world, such as India or Japan, homophobia in its modern form did not exist until colonization by the west. Legislation prohibiting sodomy, anti-gay sentiment, and Christian traditions exist to a large degree as vestiges of Europe’s influence.

Jamaica is one of these countries. The nation has codified discrimination, as well as a climate of hate, intimidation, and violence.

“Section 76. Unnatural crime. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery … shall be liable to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding ten years.”

Laws are specific to males; sexual acts between women are not prohibited by law. This is one reflection of Jamaica’s culture, one of hyperbolic masculinity. Expectations of manliness are high, and any homosexual allusions or ideas are seen as an affront to these ideals. Tying into this male-dominated, machismo structure is a wildly popular music culture: dancehall and reggae are two beloved genres in Jamaica, and often feature homophobic themes and lyrics. High-profile artists such as Buju Banton, Sizzla, Beenie Man, and Elephant Man have all recorded music with vitriolic anti-gay lyrics. The music taps into existing homophobic sentiments, and also encourages them. Other aspects of the culture also contribute, such as Christianity, or attitudes about HIV/AIDS. Fundamental is the sum: a culture in which homophobia is deeply ingrained.

As a result, life in Jamaica for LGBT individuals is not only difficult, but dangerous: beatings, murder, arson, anti-gay mobs, and rejection by family are to be expected. Extreme cases have been reported: in 2004, Jamaican gay rights activist Brian Williamson was murdered in his home with a machete. The killing was handled as a robbery, but many believe it to have been a hate crime. Rebecca Schleifer, a researcher from the Human Rights Watch, described her experience the day of his death:

“…found a small crowd singing and dancing. One man called out, ‘Battyman he get killed.’ Others were celebrating, laughing and shouting ‘Let’s get them one at a time’, “That’s what you get for sin”. Others sang ‘Boom bye bye’, a line from a well-known dancehall song by Jamaican star Buju Banton about shooting and burning gay men. ‘It was like a parade’, says Schleifer. ‘They were basically partying.’”

Youths and gay persons are often driven from their homes and neighborhoods by family members or angry crowds and find themselves with nowhere to go. This article documents the struggle of a group of youths taking refuge in sewers. Even there, however, they do not find safety. Anti-gay action and persecution come from the police, too, in the form of beatings and forced removals.

Human Rights Watch said in 2012 that because of homophobia, “human rights defenders advocating the rights of LGBT people are not safe in Jamaica”. – Wikipedia

Seeking aid or protection from the government or other authorities is also not feasible. 2012 brought a further increase in incidents of anti-gay violence and abuse. Many LGBT individuals have fled the country to live in safer places; for many this is not possible, and they have been forced to face the challenge of LGBT life in their home country.

Changing Jamaica’s culture will be a long process requiring education, diligence, and above all, fearless courage. The process begins with communication and effort to spread awareness across the world.

Filed Under: News

Negative Thoughts

December 4, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

I have a theory, about why people hate others, why others annoy us, why we don’t like some people. It is also the reason why we sometimes get laden with feelings of sadness, annoyance, depression, and negativity. I’ve observed my own thoughts and reactions, and have come up with this:

What bothers, irks, and annoys us, the things that infuriate us, are the elements of ourselves and our lives that we are unsatisfied with. We see them in other people and in the world around us, they remind of us of their presence in our own lives, and it makes us angry and sad.

I am generally a placid person. I love to listen and observe. To act as a wallflower is a hobby. It is very rare that a person can truly anger me, can truly push my buttons. There is one individual, however, who is capable of doing this with effective precision: my sister.

There are a few reasons for this. We grew up together, and have been in each other’s lives since the beginning. Thus, it is natural that we understand the ins and outs of one another, each and every tic and action that can annoy, bother, frustrate, and enrage the other, the weaknesses and insecurities, the spots where we are vulnerable.

It is because she knows those shortcomings of mine, those which leave me most insecure and which I am least capable of owning up to and accepting, that she is so capable of hurting me. In an argument she finds where I’m susceptible and strikes with accuracy.

Other people in my life don’t know me as well. They don’t know of these shortcomings and insecurities. But every person I meet is flawed like I am, with imperfections in their characters. They, too, are people. We are all similar to one another, and because there is so much overlap, it happens often that I encounter others who share the same tendencies to make identical mistakes or who do things that remind me of my flaws and dissatisfaction with my character. When a person or something annoys me, this is the reason: I see a flaw of my own, or something that reminds me of these things I perceive as my deficiencies, and it bothers me.

I am shy. Like most people I find it difficult to speak to someone new at a party, especially when I find them attractive and interesting. Sometimes I get frustrated, sometimes I find my mind ascribing negativities to that person: they’re not worth talking to, they’re below me, they’re dumb. None of these are true. It’s merely a defense mechanism, my mind’s way of deflecting the fact that I’m disappointed in myself for not finding the courage to talk to them.

Likewise: sometimes I feel lonely. I eat lunch in my school’s food center, where there are students and people in large numbers around me. Everyone groups with their friends and eats together; they converse, and laugh, and enjoy each other. I look around and every now and then, when I’m feeling lonesome, it magnifies my negative emotions. My mind fires critical thoughts: they’re all stupid, all boring and average, content to be the same as everyone else. This is absurd. It’s merely a method of numbing and disguising the loneliness and pain I feel.

With other people it’s no different. We all harbor dissatisfaction with our own lives, and none of us have perfected our character to the point of having eliminated all the things we see in it as flawed. What comes next can differ: sometimes I catch the negative thoughts as they surface and can then and there ascribe them to their source. Other times it becomes internal dishonesty, staying inside, latent. I lie to myself and the source remains active: not the world or people around me, but myself.

This isn’t an explanation for all the problems and woes of the world. But as you go through the day, and find yourself bothered or frustrated or annoyed, pause and breathe, and consider the cause. Look within yourself for the source.religious-confusion-gay-god-jesus-christian-church-gay-counseling


Filed Under: Science and History

Hawaii Gay Marriage Passed By Senate

November 12, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

religious-confusion-gay-jesus-gay-peace

In a 19-4 vote, Hawaii’s Senate has approved a bill allowing same-sex marriages within the state. The final step is a signature from the governor, Democrat Neil Abercrombie, who has expressed support for the law.

Following the terms in the legislation, gay marriages will be allowed starting December 2.

Hawaii is now the the fifteenth state to legalize same-sex marriages, and rides on a wave of similar legislation rapidly growing widespread throughout America. One year ago, six states and The District of Columbia were the only states to have legalized same-sex marriages. That number has now more than doubled, and Illinois stands poised to make itself number sixteen. Cases similar to the one that led to Hawaii’s new law are underway throughout the country. Moreover, the zeitgeist appears to be changing – according to this Gallup poll, gay marriage is now supported by more than half the country. Poll data must be viewed with skepticism, but the rising number of states allowing same-sex marriages lends credit to these numbers.

The bill did experience opposition – more so in the house than in the senate, where the bill succeeded with a vote of 30-19. This reflects the overall state in the United States – while public opinion is changing, a motivated and fervent opposition to causes such as same-sex marriage and equal rights for homosexuals remains.


Filed Under: News

Germany Allows Third Gender Option

November 2, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

November 2, 2013gay-rights-legal

In Germany a law has been passed which allows parents and individuals to abstain from categorizing themselves as male or female. The state now allows a third gender option on birth certificates. Up until now choosing one of the two was mandatory – this led to problems especially in cases of intersex babies.

Intersex is a condition in which chromosomes do not align to create clearly a male or a female. This can present itself with genitals or an appearance that does not correspond perfectly to either gender. Laws allowing only the options “M” and “F” on birth certificates have been part of a culture in which this natural biological feature was shunned, scorned, and mishandled – when parents are forced to decide which gender their child is, the individual may grow up with a mismatching biological and mental gender identity.

In Germany, birth certificates will now have a third option in addition to male and female – X. The German government also now issues passports with this classification.

Germany is not the only country that has already taken steps to recognize intersexuals. Nepal, the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, Uruguay, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have also already officially recognized this third gender. The third gender, or genders outside of the frequently-seen Western dichotomy of male and female, are and were part of cultures around the world today and throughout history. They are mentioned in the Quran, and also among the oldest written human records describing ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Laws like this are the first step for intersexuals towards acceptance in society at large. Another goal for the community is to end gender assignment for intersex infants, and to allow the individuals to decide themselves once they’ve developed a gender identity. This law doesn’t achieve this goal quite yet, but is a move in the right direction.


Filed Under: News

Marriott Hosts Anti-Gay Conference

October 31, 2013 By Connor 1 Comment

October 31, 2013

religion-gay-cristian-sibling

Marriott Hotel will soon be hosting a conference of the organization NARTH – that stands for the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.

NARTH’s mission is in sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), something deemed futile and irresponsible not only the American Psychological Association, but by psychologists, scientists, and professionals across the world.

Here a statement from the APA:

“The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.

There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor to conclude whether recent SOCE do work to change a person’s sexual orientation.”

Moreover, it is the opinion of a huge number of psychologists and mental health professionals that not only are attempts to change one’s sexuality futile, but also that they can be extremely harmful to youths, warping their identity and potentially causing lifelong struggles with an unhealthy self-image, a lack of capacity for self-acceptance, and serious problems that can come with them, such as depression and even suicide.

Were we to raise children of a certain skin or hair color to believe their body and mind were from birth wrong, that they needed to struggle to change this, that they needed to do deny to themselves what they were, they would be unhealthy and depressed. They would have a distorted and skewed and terrible image of themselves as wrong and in need of repair. This is exactly what this organization wants to do.

Why is Marriott hosting this irresponsible and hateful organization? This will not be the first time NARTH has convened under Marriott’s roofs – the hotel chain has hosted them many times in the past. What’s worse, Marriott is happy to accept and promote an image of themselves as gay-friendly, providing information on their website about gay vacations and weddings.

Spread this information, and tell your circles about Marriott’s hypocrisy and nasty money-hoarding, and what depths they will sink themselves in order to make a bit of money. Or, worse – are there people behind the scenes at Marriott who support this ludicrous and dangerous organization?

A few links:

Sign your name and help!


Filed Under: News

Eight Lies About Gay People

October 14, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

religion-gay-cristian-lifeFor me, just about the most infuriating thing is people who use lies or made-up information in arguments and discussions. This happens quite often, and we can all be guilty of it. There are, however, those that do it for a living or, whose only skill it seems to be. Homosexuals are very often a victim of this. Here are eight lies about gay people. I’ll discuss these untruths by comparing them with another perspective.

1. Being gay is unnatural = Gauges are unnatural

Look at some of these people. Body modification is a personal choice, and I think every person is beautiful no matter how they look or what they do. Yet I wouldn’t hesitate to say that between the sexual feelings one is born with and somehow inserting very large pieces of metal underneath one’s skin, the latter might be well classified as less natural. In fact one must ask, what is natural? Much of what modern humans do – including being gay and extreme piercings, are not new phenomena. There have been always been gay people; homosexuality existed long before we evolved. Piercings are and have been practiced by people all over the world for thousands of years. To claim either is unnatural seems to contradict the facts.

2. Being gay is a disorder = Hate and bigotry are a disorder

What is a disorder? How do we determine if something about somebody is a trait, a talent or gift, or a disorder? These are all very broad terms. For these purposes I’ll think of disorder as something that causes negativity, suffering, and emotional or physical pain. If these are our criteria, hate of others, and arbitrary prejudices are much more a disorder than being gay is. If people weren’t preoccupied with judging, despising, criticizing, condemning, and writing off others based on one factor of their person, just about all our problems might be solved. If people weren’t gay, on the other hand, the only difference would be that hateful people would focus their attention on someone else.

3. Gays can’t commit to relationships = Celebrities can’t commit to relationships

Gays are often criticized for being unable to form long term, committed, mature relationships. If you look at celebrities, however, this is also not the case. In fact, there are industries worldwide devoted to how fickle and irresponsible these people are. They are even idolized for it. Were one of the E Channel’s “stars” to marry and divorce in a time span of three months, they’d receive a show, a cover on People magazine, and television specials. And let us not forget that half of all straight marriages end in divorce. I think that all people have trouble committing to relationships, and gay people are certainly no better or worse than straight people. I don’t even understand the critique here – at the worst, that gay people aren’t perfect? Last I checked, no one is perfect.

4. God hates gay people = God hates himself

In the world’s two largest propagators of homophobia (Christianity and Islam), God is more than just a symbol, or being responsible for just one thing, such as the sun, fertility, or crops. God is the creator of everything, and is everything. He knows all and controls all. He was personally responsible in creating and designing every quark of our bodies and our earth, and He loves us as He created us. Why is it then, that these religions are the source so much hate, and condemnation of something they themselves believe to be God’s work? God did not create things he despises and did not want to exist. Those teaching otherwise, are lost and have forgotten God and God’s love.

5. All gay men are feminine = All Japanese men are feminine

Many dye their hair, have cute dolls on their cell phones, and wear makeup. They often pay as much attention to their outfits, if not more, than their female counterparts. Yet any sensible person knows that to define an entire population based on a few conspicuous individuals is foolish. Furthermore it must also be considered what feminine and masculine are – in Japanese culture, these things are often not considered womanly or girly. Like all the cultures, societies, and peoples of this world, the Japanese have their own standards and conceptions of what “feminine” and “masculine” are. Gay men are as varied as any other population – some correspond more to an American idea of femininity, while others are metalheads, businessmen, motorcycle enthusiasts, or anything else you can think of. Any judgment about a worldwide group of individuals coming from all societies, communities, and walks of life is simply absurd.

6. HIV is a gay disease = Syphilis is a straight disease

Where syphilis arose is unknown. But it spread throughout the world through the ships of explorers and colonizers; straight individuals carried it. During WWII it had grown into a threat, as servicemen and women sought an escape and the disease spread amongst them: the US carried out campaigns (here’s one and a second) during the war to help prevent further infections. When an STI spreads through the heterosexual population steps are taken to counteract it – when it spreads among homosexuals they should be blamed for it? Proponents of these mentality – that HIV is a gay disease, are blindly ignorant.  HIV knows not gay, straight, black, white. It has ravaged Africa and established itself in heterosexual and homosexual populations across the world. Those who write it off as a “gay disease” should be ashamed of themselves. HIV destroys lives, families, parents, and children across the world, regardless of the perception ignorant people hold of it; it is these perceptions which have and will hold us back from making progress in fighting this horrible thing.

7. Being gay is a choice = Being straight is a choice

I’ve often heard straight men say they’d love to be gay. They’d be free of incomprehensible women, of seeking to navigate the vast discrepancies between themselves and womankind. They look at being gay and believe there to be lots of perks: having sex easily, more common ground, less drama. This is often in jest, and if not, it must be understood that being gay doesn’t make dating and sex any easier than being straight. This goes to demonstrate, however, that sexuality is not something one can choose. Countless gay youths have spent months and years praying and wishing and hoping every day to change – and it never works. If our sexuality could be changed and switched by choice, why don’t people do it? It’s simple – because it’s not possible.

8. All gay people are ____

There are very few things one can put in the blank with creating a fallacy. Thinking about it, I can find only a couple words that truly fits: human, possessors of a body, and perhaps a redundant “gay” works. Apart from that, there is too much diversity and disparity among homosexuals for pigeonholing or the creating of some common category. Homosexuals are as diverse as all other people, in their sexuality, personalities, histories, ethnicities and birthplaces, religious backgrounds, desires, dreams. Anyone who claims a gay person must be _____ simply because they are gay is horribly ignorant.


Filed Under: Science and History

America is a Christian Nation

September 28, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

bible gay quotesI often hear lamented that America is lost. That we have turned away from God, and faith, and Christian values and virtues, and that that is the cause of our current problems and struggles. I hear despair that prayer is forbidden in schools, that too many godless individuals hold power and influence, that the absence of Christian morals is undermining the foundations of our country. That America is a Christian nation, or rightfully should be.

In my perception, there seems to be a logical disconnect here. America is not, and has never been a Christian nation. The problems that plague us today are extreme, but are not new phenomena, in the history of neither the United States nor the rest of the world, and they do not stem from the presence or absence of Christianity in America, but from the nature of men. Moreover, the constitution is very clear:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

The words of the Constitution and bill of rights do leave some ambiguity; they do not and could not describe and regulate every aspect and element of the nation and its future. Since 1776 the world has undergone waves of complete change, and in the last thirty an utter and fundamental technological revolution which has completely transformed our lives. In other places, however, the constitution is iron and expressly clear, and contains words which transcend the specifics of any time or society in history:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The majority religion of America has always been Christianity. This has generally corresponded very closely to the moral zeitgeists of America’s past. Not necessarily God, Christianity itself, or the Bible, but the church and its representatives. Christianity has taken many faces throughout America’s history, a large number of them positive, selfless, and benevolent. Countless men and women have found in the Bible, and in Jesus, inspiration to devote themselves to good, and to the aid of others. Christianity has also, however, been abused and manipulated for the most horrible of reasons: to justify slavery and then a tradition of racism and murder that lasted through generation after generation; as a critical element of manifest destiny, and the devastating history of slaughter, dislocation, genocide, and cruelty that the indigenous peoples of the United States suffered at the hands of Americans; or, today, as a platform for corrupt and vile politicians to hide behind. In each case, evil men and women have claimed Jesus and his teachings to have been or to be their motivation. But Jesus did not preach racism and violence, murder and death, or discrimination and dishonesty.

A truly Christian nation would be a far cry from that which we know. As discussed in other articles on the site, a literal implementation of the Bible would likely leave each and every member of our society dead. We’ll base our goals, then, on Jesus an
d his teachings.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy…Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” – Matt    5: 5-9

“But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” – Luke 6: 27-32

“Do not return evil for evil. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give way to wrath…Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”-  Romans 12: 17-21

These messages are a stark contrast to the behavior of many people who claim to be guided by these words. They purport that their goal is an implementation of Jesus’ teachings, but their actions do not correspond to Jesus’ calls for love, unity, acceptance, modesty, and forgiveness. Jesus preaches we should not judge; they, however, are full of judgment and criticism for others. By “Christian morals” they understand not the process of looking inwards to identify and strive to end one’s own sins, but rather a despicable quest to regulate and control the lives of others. They ignore Jesus’ words and in his name promote an agenda which, in many instances, is the complete opposite.

Were America to be governed in Jesus’ name, he would be heartbroken to witness the current understanding of “Christian nation.” Selfishness and greed, utter recklessness with the environment, miserliness, judgment, blatant and malicious dishonesty, vengeance, war and death, superiority, racism, bigotry: these things rule in America. And while there are people of all creeds and walks of life at fault, I often find these tragedies coming from those mentioned above, those calling for the revival of “Christian morals,” for the conversion of America into a “Christian nation.”

All people, but especially Christians, weary of this hypocrisy, stand up. Reexamine Jesus’ words, and ask yourself, is today’s America what He wants for us? Let us spread Jesus’ actual words, and redefine the concept of a “Christian nation,” and truly make it happen in America – let us make America into a place of tolerance, love, unity, a place without judgment, where all are free to seek happiness and coexist peacefully with their fellow men and women.


Filed Under: Culture

Elderly Gay People Tell Stories

September 20, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

   Elderly Gay People Speak of the Past

Here’s a wonderful video from The LA Gay Center. Gay seniors talk about being gay, their families, relationships, discrimination, struggles, love, life, and the past. The wisdom, alacrity, and honesty here is striking. Our world is full of elderly individuals, whose insight and experience is often ignored. Among the already forgotten and disregarded senior population, elderly gay people often face particularly troubling situations. This video is human, real, and show the stories these people have to tell us.


Filed Under: Videos about Being Gay Tagged With: Coming Out

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality

September 19, 2013 By Connor 1 Comment

 What does the Bible say about                                                                                                                                                                                                              homosexuality?

Here’s a great video discussing the Bible’s comments about homosexuality. We love hearing from devoted individuals, religious or not, who have studied the Bible and committed themselves to understanding it’s words and messages. This video shows several professionals who obviously have much experience with the Bible – we even see Desmond Tutu, a world renowned religious figure, discussing this topic. The interviewed persons offer a variety of interpretations – this is exactly the point the video tries to make. It is not that any one person is 100% correct about who wrote the Bible and why they did it, but they are all completely right that the Bible was written by people, not by God. While God and his wisdom may be present in parts of the Bible, it is in the end a book written by humans – humans with flaws, prejudices, desires, beliefs, and personalities. When thinking about and discussing the topic “What does the Bible say about homosexuality,” one must keep this in mind, and remember to not allow the prejudices and faults of man cloud and distort God’s love.


Filed Under: Videos about Being Gay Tagged With: Bible & Homosexuality

The Biology of Being Gay – Why Are People Gay?

September 16, 2013 By Connor Leave a Comment

gays-for-jesus-religious-familiesWhy are people gay?

Sexuality is a very complicated topic. From a biological perspective it is our purpose in life; we satiate our need for food and water, and remaining are a mess of hormones which constantly drive us to seek a mate and reproduce. Human sexuality, however, is much more complex than that.

Sex is omnipresent in our lives, and goes beyond the physical act. It’s emotions are among the most powerful we can experience, and are capable of exterminating the logic of even the most reasonable people. Sexuality is the end of our childhood, but it’s influence begins before that; in fact, it begins the moment we enter the world, and we receive a name, a name which is either masculine or feminine. Why is sex so important, and such a strong influence in our lives?

Let’s go back a step, and examine sex itself. Sex is an implementation of a critical element of life: reproduction. All organisms reproduce, and many do so through a process called sex. In many species, there exist a male and a female variety. Individuals of each possess corresponding capabilities which allow them to exchange genetic information, their DNA, by which process a new organism is created. This is sex. Other commonalities are tough to find. In any case, however, sex is of critical importance to all organisms. This unceasing drive to reproduce is the nature of life.

Sex is seen among plants, fungi, and animals, which leaves for considerable variety in the various forms sex takes on. The sexuality of most species is a far cry from our own. Many are hermaphrodites, with each sex possessing both male and female sex organs, and many are only capable of reproducing when in heat; some species have only a few days a year. Boars’ orgasms last between five and fifteen minutes. Male honey bee drones exist in great number for no other purpose than to perish after very quickly mating with the queen. Among many species of insects the female bites the male’s head off following intercourse (which throws the term “whipped” in a whole new light). Many plants are dependent upon animals in various ways for reproduction, and others are equipped with their own methods of spreading seeds (a personal favorite are the elegant and ethereal maple seeds). Here’s a great list.

As we can see, sexuality is not determined by nature to be in a certain way. The relation of male and female, homosexuality, and the individual experience (ranging from emotional response to death of one party) varies widely. Each organism, however, does it – no matter if they’ll die or suffer in the process, their impulses drive them to do it. They are unable to resist. We are no different.

That point is the critical element that many people seem to forget. Although humans can influence our actions, we cannot control our impulses and emotions. In short, we are what we are, and everything else is what we decide to do with our feelings. Just as many male insects perhaps do not wish themselves a violent beheading by their mate, they do it anyways, without fail. This extends beyond sex and is an element found among all life. Some impulses, some processes, some instincts cannot be resisted. They are a fundamental part of who we are, of what an organism is. It is written in our DNA.

Human sexuality is certainly different than that of animals, or fungi or plants. We are also, however, slaves to our impulses, and are as responsible for selecting our sexuality as all other species: it is beyond our control. We do not choose to be gay or straight, which gender we are and which gender identity we possess, what type of people we are attracted to, what we enjoy doing in bed. If we look at other species, we see individuals who have exactly so little control as we do. Many elements of not only our sexuality but also of our characters we are born with, and retain our entire lives. Straight individuals do not become gay; lactose intolerants do not wake up one day to discover they can drink milk; skin, eye, and hair color can not be changed.

Let’s imagine God as the grand architect and designer of all these organisms: God’s plans for sex correspond to those put forth in the Bible. Why would God make sex such a critical element of a healthy and loving long-term relationships, yet require that irreversible marriages be made before two individuals can see if they are a sexual match? Why would he have so many of us be gay (homosexuals in the human population make up likely between three and ten percent), yet demand that those who follow these feelings be killed? Why would he make us all so different, yet expect us all to be the same?

Love seems to be very rare in our world in comparison to hate. I believe that love is the best policy when dealing with others – no matter the person’s character, choices, and history with another individual, one should love them for what they are: another human living on this earth, making their way through this thing we call life. When two individuals find one another, and in the other, love, God must rejoice – he does not condemn them. He, creator and designer of everything, would not instill these emotions in his children if they were forbidden.

The biological origin and cause of homosexuality is not understood. What is certain, however, is that homosexuality is not unique to humans; rather, it is homophobia that is limited to our species. I stand by my beliefs on love: it is the only answer. Who, and what one loves is not important. It is the act itself that defines our humanity, and our capacity to do good for others, our world, and ourselves.


Filed Under: Science and History Tagged With: Science & Being Gay

« Previous Page
Next Page »
>
  • ADOLESCENT GAY EXPERIENCES – STORIES OF COMING OUT, FACING RELIGION, DISCOVERING THE WORLD & GROWING UP

Gay Books & Articles Recommendations

Shares

 

Ann Bannon – Odd Girl Out Ann Bannon published six novels of lesbian pulp fiction in the late 50s and early 60s. These novels have endured as classics since then. Odd Girl Out was the first of this series of six.
Click Here to Purchase Odd Girl Out from Amazon

Maurice – E.M. Forster Another classic, this one published in 1960. It follows a homosexual man named Maurice from his boyhood onward, detailing his life and experiences with love.
Click Here to Purchase Maurice from Amazon

Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides Published in 2002. A multi-generation story, it follows the grandparents of a boy named Cal as they immigrate from Asia Minor to Detroit. The second part of the book follows Cal, a man with a condition that leaves him with certain feminine traits. It shows his journey, and how he comes to understand his identity.
Click Here to Purchase Middlesex from Amazon

The Front Runner – Patricia Nell Warren A beloved book from the 70s, telling the story of a college runner, Billy, and his coach, Harlan, who fall in love with one another. They are together for several years, and the book follows their relationship and Billy’s road to the olympics.
Click Here to Purchase The Front Runner from Amazon

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Services
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Services
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

Copyright - Gays for Jesus - A LGBTQ news and opinion site where we accept everyone as they are.